Combined negative and print washer.



. Patented Ih. l29, 190|. F. H. KENYUN. *COMBINED NEGATIVE ANDPRINTWSHEB.

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YNi MORRIS PEYERS C0 PHOTO-LITNO WASHINGTON D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK H. KENYON, OF BARRE, VERMONT.

COMBINED NEGATIVE AND PRINT WASHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 667,020, dated January29, 1901.

Application iiled October 19, 1900. Serial No. 33.569. (No model.)

T0 @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it knownA that I, FRANK H. KENYON, a citizen of the United States,residingat Barre, in the county of Washington and State of Vermont, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in a Combined Negative andPrint Washer; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled inthe art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to a combined negative and print washer.

The object of the invention is to provide a device of this character bymeans of which photographic negatives and prints may be moreexpeditiously and thoroughly washed, thus greatly lessening the time nowrequired, as well as enabling me to secure more advantageous results.

To draw a clear line of demarcation between the present invention andthe prior state of the art, it may be Well at the beginning to brieflystate the manner in which prints are now Washed, so that the advantagesof the present invention will be more readily perceived. It is thecustom of careful and painstaking photographers in the ual washing tohandle each print separately from one tray of fresh Water to anothertray for at least five times, and on the fifth time the prints in abanked or stacked condition are exposed to running water. This presentsserious objections, one of which is that the prints are unevenly Washed,the uppermost prints being more thoroughly washed than the lower orunderlying prints and the marginal edges of the underlying prints beingmore thoroughly Washed than the central or body portion/of the prints,thus only partially removing the hyposulite of soda, a solution in whichthe prints are fixed after toning in gold and platinum and often leadingthe photographer to believe that the discoloration of the prints aftermounting is due to some fault of the paper, whereas, as amatter of fact,the direct cause is traceable to the faulty and uneven washing of theprints. Myinvention aims to overcome these objections by the provisionof a simple, durable, and comparatively inexpensive washer which may beof such shapes and sizes as to lit the various styles of sinks locatedin the photographers dark or finishing room.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view ot theimproved combined negative and print Washer looking into its interiorand indicating by arrows the direction of the current or iiow of waterin washing photographic negatives. Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevationalView, partly in section, the tray removed, illustrating the direction ofthe water-current when the device is used for washing photographicprints. Fig. 3 is a top plan view, and Fig. 4 is an enlarged verticalsectional view of the discharge-head.

Referring to the drawings, 1 denotes a pan or receptacle having acentral aperture 2, in which issecured a discharge-head 3, the upperwalls 4 of which are formed with a series of minute discharge or sprayopenings 5 and a central portion which is divided into an outlet-chamber6, having holes 7 therein to lead the Water from the pan into saidchamber and provided with a discharge-pipe 8, which extends under thepan and projects through its supporting-flange 9. This pipe is providedwith a controlling-valve 10, having a handle 1l, extending through thelange 9 for operating it to cut oft the discharge of Water from the pan.

12 denotes a hose connected to a servicepipe and leading to a receiver13, secured to the side of the pan. This receiver 13 is provided withjet-pipes 14, which extend through the side of the pan and are arrangedat a tangent to its axis and are provided With controlling-cocks 15.

16 denotes a pipe leading from the lower end of the receiver 13 to thedischarge-head 3 and provided with a stop-cock 17.

19 denotes a holder placed within the pan or receptacle and designed toretain in proper position the photographic negatives to be washed. Thisholder preferably consists of a series of trays 20, the bottoms of whichare connected to wire rings 2l and the ends of which are provided withvertical grooves 22, designed to receive the negatives and hold themseparated one from the other within said trays. The upper ends oi' saidtrays are connected on their inner sides by a hoop 24:, and these traysare all arranged tangentially with respect to the axis of the holder.

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When it is desired to wash photographic negatives, the negatives areplaced side by side in parallel position in each tray and thecontrolling-cocks l5 turned on. The water will escape from said cocks injets and will flow in the direction illustrated by the arrows in Fig. levenly and uniformly on each side of the negatives, thus thoroughly andexpeditiously washing them and escaping with the sediment through theholes 7 into the out.- let-chamber and out through the pipe S. In thisprocess of washing it will of .course be understood that the receptacleor pan is filled to nearly its top with water before the valve 10 isopened and that the Water is then kept at a uniform height within saidpan or receptacle. Practical demonstrations have proved that thenegatives can be Washed in less than one-half the time than by othermeans wherein the negatives are submerged in water in a receptacle inwhich water is constantly running in at one end of the receptacle andout at the other, and it is believed that this saving in time effectedby the present invent-ion is due to the current or force of the Wateragainst the negatives; but whether or not this be the correct theory thefact remains that a great saving in time is accomplished by theemployment of this washer.

In washing photographic prints, which of course would be unable to standthe same water-pressure as the negatives,in that the one is made ofpaper and the other glass, I produce a minimum water-pressure in lieu ofthat above set forth and which I will now proceed to describe. Thecontrolling-cocks 15 are closed and the cock 17 opened. The water passesfrom the receiver 13 through the pipe 16 into the discharge-head 3,through the minute apertures of which it discharges in a very ne streamand creates the currents indicated by the arrows.

In washing the prints they are placed from the hypo solution into thepan or receptacle, but not until nearly full, and the valves lO and I7adjusted to maintain approximately a uniform water-level, the printsbeing supported by the gentle Water-current or force caused by theescape of the water-pressure through the minute perforations in theeliminator or discharge-head, which keeps them separated and incontinual motion face up and face down. Thus both sides of the printsare carefully and thoroughly Washed without handling, as practicaldemonstrations have proved.

To prevent the outlet from getting stopped during the process of washingthe prints, I have provided a rose or protector 25. (Shown in Fig.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, the construction, operation, and advantages of myinvention will be readily understood without requiring an extendedexplanation. The device is exceedingly useful for the purpose for whichit is designed and may be placed upon the market at a comparativelysmall cost.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details ofconstruction maybe resorted to without departing from the principle orsacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what Iclaim as new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a washer of the character described, the combination with areceptacle, of a holder placed therein and comprising a series of traysarranged tangentially to the axis ol' the receptacle and provided withmeans for holding the negatives or prints spaced apart in parallelorder, and means for generating a Water-cu rrent between the negativesor prints held in parallel relation, substantially as set forth.

2. A holder for the purpose described comprising a series of traysarranged around a circle, and each tray extending longitudinally at atangent to the circle, said trays being connected, substantially as setforth.

3. A holder for the purpose described comprising a series of traysarranged around a circle, and each tray extending longitudinally at atangent to the circle, said trays being connected and provided withmeans for holding the negatives or prints parallel and spaced apart,substantially as set forth.

et. A holder for the purpose described comprising a series of traysconnected to a circular rod and extending longitudinally at a tangent tothe rod, said trays being provided with grooves for receiving andholding the negatives or prints parallel and spaced apart, and a bandfor connecting the inner sides of said trays, substantially as setforth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

. FRANK H. KENYON.

Vitnesses:

WILMARTH A. DREW, C. O. AvERILL.

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